Between The Covers

Chief Patron: Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman AEPC, ATDC & IAM

Honorary ManagingEditor: Sh. Hari Kapoor, Vice-Chairman, ATDC

Chief Editor: Dr. Darlie O. KoshyDG & CEO, ATDC & IAM

Editor: Ms. Aanchal Prabhakar Jagga

Content and Design:IANS Publishing

l ‘A New Identity’l Quality Mattersl Smooth Transitionl Break the Boundariesl Stitching an Enterprise

‘The days of manual Pattern Making are over,’ says Ram Sareen,Founder, Tukatech; ‘ATDC, Juki can together help the garmentsector grow rapidly,’ says Juki-Motamaru, Director, Juki India

Emerging fibre-to-fashion value chain in

India’s Silicon Valley

FUSING Technology with SkillsAs India’s largest vocational training network for the apparel sector, ATDC is uniquely placed to tackle the twin challenges facing the industry — to train people to use technology and to use technology to train people

in focus04

flashlight14

stories to tell19

interviews11

in summary20

l Knitting ‘Product Speciality’ ideas

l Upskilling Andhra Pradesh, ATDC way

l ATDC-Okhla ‘analyses’ skills gaps

l Celebrations: ATDC’s artistic skills welcome ‘Onam’

l Expanding horizons in Uttar Pradesh

news flags12-13 16-18

l Rajasthan villages on ATDC radar

l New directions in garment technology: Prabir Jana

l Digitisation is here to stay: Harish Gupta

l Empowering ‘Bega’ tribe

l ‘SMART’ Innovations

l Fostering India-Mauritius apparel bond

l TN Textiles Secretary at ATDC-SMART Egmore Centre

l ATDC, a role model on Bihar’s skill map

SMART NewZine is a bi-monthly publication of ATDC. All rights reserved. Content from SMART NewZine may be reproduced with permission.

Feedback/ suggestion/ articles/ advertisements may be sent to: smartnewzine@atdcindia.co.in

Cover Design:Mithun Mukherjee

CONTRIBUTORS:ATDC FIELD AND STATE-LEVEL TEAMS

‘Open’ Dialogue is an ATDC forum to discuss, debate and disseminate ideasthat we hope willshape the present andfuture of the textileand apparel industry

Corporates call it a “customer-centric approach”. When it comes toskilling, the “customer” is the learner. Too many of our efforts inthe past have focused on a top-down approach, resulting in several

problems — from mobilisation to high attrition rates post-placement.And technology has a role in finding solutions to these problems.

The learner is a unique individual, with aspirations, dreams, interests. Anend goal of education is to enable the individual to reach his potentialand best use his talents. Today, there are psychometric tests that enablestudent profiling and these must be integrated in every school. Selectingthe right candidate leads to multiple cost savings and efficiencies in thelong run.

There is also a need for information dissemination and career cells, es-pecially in the rural areas. Some enterprising entrepreneurs have startedusing technology in the shape of community radio and mobile phones toprovide information to youth. There remains, however, the need to de-velop such initiatives into an institutional mechanism in the educationecosystem.

Another critical issue in skill development is the quality of inputs that gointo training — the quality of faculty, training infrastructure and trainingmethodologies. A way to address the shortage of quality faculty is to makeinnovative use of technology. Hub-and-spoke models allow for one goodteacher to reach out to more than one classroom. E-learning techniquesenable anytime-anyplace learning. Haptic technology, a tactile feedbacktechnology, uses the sense of touch to create simulated activity before alearner actually works on a real machine.

Skilling a nation with such great diversity and rich-poor, rural-urban di-vides is an extremely complex task. Using technology can help.

(Excerpted with permission from Dr. Ramadorai’s Keynote Address at the 5th FICCI GSS 2012)

‘Open’ Dialogue

MR. S. RAMADORAI,ADVISOR TO THEPRIME MINISTER OF INDIA IN THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ONSKILL DEVELOPMENT,GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

Apparel manufacturing is undergoing rapidchanges in technology of not only patternand fit engineering but also that of garmentmanufacturing systems. In the 1st and 2nd editions of The Technology Upgradation FundScheme (TUFS) of Govt. of India, the apparelsector did not make enough progress inmodernisation of technology, and now it isimperative that apparel sector becomesproactive and rapidly modernise the produc-tion and IT infrastructure. ATDC’s short-termcourses under SMART and long-term trainingprogrammes under ATDC “Community Col-lege” address critical knowledge and skill-sets required for the apparel sector, to makethe candidates ‘Industry-Ready’ right fromthe start. SMART NewZine’s this issue

focuses on technology, both in manufactur-ing of apparel as well as in imparting oftraining in apparel and allied areas. TheFashion Innovation Lab at IAM, Digital Con-tents brought out by ATDC-SMART Training ofTrainers’ Academy are steps in the right di-rection to usher in a technological leap forthis labour-intensive and Pan-India industry.I do hope the apparel exporters and domes-tic manufacturers will make use of the train-ing avenues offered by ATDC/ATDC-SMART/TOT Academy for their trainers, staff and shop-floor workforce to upskill the humanresources while embracing new technologies to increase ‘competitiveness’of the Indian Apparel Industry.

— Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman, AEPC & ATDC & IAM

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

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Workers at the INA Hanger System at theOrient Craft Ltd. in Manesar, Haryana

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In the highly competitive worldof the apparel exports industry, wherethe difference of a few cents per piececan determine who wins a contract, it istechnology and efficient deployment ofskill-sets that have emerged as key dif-ferentiators. The Indian apparel indus-try, unfortunately, has been slightly latein adopting — and adapting to — newtechnology. Consider this: A worker in a factory

in Bangladesh is able to produce 36shirts a day, whereas the average inIndia is just 18. At a macro level, be-tween 1999 and 2007, the apparel in-dustry in Bangladesh, Vietnam, China,Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan grewbetween 142 and 162 percent. In India’s case, it was half that level.

Why? The answer: these countriestook to technology early, automatedtheir processes, cut costs and im-proved efficiencies —while India wasslow to do so.

Technology LagThe reason for the slow start can betraced to the deployment of the Tech-nology Upgradation Fund, or TUF,scheme. The apparel industry did notbenefit much from Phase I of TUF,which was launched in April 1999 by theMinistry of Textiles to help the larger In-dian apparel and textiles industry be-come compliant with World TradeOrganisation (WTO) rules aimed at

As India’s largest vocational training network for the apparel sector, ATDC is uniquely placed to tackle the twin challenges facing the industry — to train people to use technologyand to use technology to train people

FUSING TECHNOLOGYWITH SKILLS

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phasing out the quota regime. Some`37,500 crore was disbursed till March31, 2007, but the apparel industry got amere 2-3 percent of that. The bulk of themoney went to the spinning and weav-ing sectors.If India had used technology upgra-

dation to improve competitiveness atthat time, all our factories would todayhave become more efficient as those ofits rivals.Probably, however, it did not make

sense for Indian companies to automatein those days. For instance, the difference between

the then low labour rates and the mod-ern machines was still very high. Butnow, with minimum wages climbing to`7,000-`8,000 per month, and the cost ofmachines — with advanced features —coming down, the differential betweenlabour and automation has shrunk. Fac-

tories are now slowly adopting the latesttechnology and throwing away obsoletemachines (See box: TechTrends).Shyam Raj, director, Reach Sewn

Technologies, says there are other rea-sons as well why the use of latest tech-nology is still not as widespread as itought to be. Notably, the industry is fragmented,

with the largest apparel manufacturerhaving no more than 1 percent share ofthe industry. Small firms find it moredifficult to adopt the latest trends.There is more. “In the West, there is

a high level of technology penetration.Vendors come out with newer productversions every two-three years. Thetechnology market there is a replace-ment market. In India, since technologypenetration levels are low, most userswill be first-time users,” adds the ReachSewn head.

TechTRENDSGone are the days of loud and greasy

machines, manual operations andshopfloors crowded with workers. Technology and automation are evident inpractically every department of the apparel industry. Here’s a sampler:� Computer-aided Design, or CAD: This is usedfor everything from pattern-making and e-fitting to sampling, production and costing.

� Fabric inspection is now automated, allow-ing for more efficient defect-identificationat speeds of up to 120 metres per minute –four times faster than manual inspection.

� Cutting and spreading: There are nowfully automatic auto cutters, spreadingmachines and transfer tables.

� Embroidery machines: These now boast oflaser technology, with fully-loaded em-broidery software leading to value addedgarment production.

� Sewing process: Today’s IT based-sewingrooms allow real-time data management:Microcomputers collect data such as machineon time, piece-handling time, piece stitchingtime, etc. The data is analysed and reportsgenerated on production lags, operator effi-ciency, etc. These reports helps streamlineprocesses and increase efficiencies.

� Sewing equipment: automatic collar mark-ers; automatic collar turner and point shear-ers; buttonholing indexers; automatedpocket setters; trouser button hemmingunits. All these machines have not only in-creased output, but have also ensured en-hanced and standardised quality.

� Finishing: Form finishers do pressing ondummies, allowing garments to retains per-fect shape after pressing, and multiform fin-ishers, for outerwear, can adjust for shoulderwidth and breadth and also facilitate adjust-ment of tensioning movements.

� Packaging: Fully automated garment bagging senses the size and style atwhich bags should be packed.

� Hanging garment installations are over-head storage systems that bring the gar-ment directly to operators’ workstations;also facilitates automatic garment search.

�Material handling: Overhead conveyor sys-tems used in sewing rooms eliminate man-power involvement in material handling.

ATDC has already taken the initiative to providetraining on new technology and prepare quality resources that will help in making technology-upgradation successful.Vishal Sher, Managing Director, Studio Next Technology

A worker at the Topcut Bullmer, an automatic cutting system.

Training for TechnologyBut as industry adopts technology, saysRaj, it will face two crucial challenges.One, it will need large numbers of peo-ple trained to handle the latest technol-ogy; and two, these people should befrom across the skill pyramid. That is,not just managers, but workers and su-pervisors who use technology tools onthe shopfloor.This is just the right scenario for the

Apparel Training & Design Centre(ATDC) to step into. As the country’slargest vocational training network forthe sector with 25 community colleges,125 self-run SMART Centres and SkillCamps in major apparel clusters across22 states, it is best placed to tackle thetwin challenges facing the industry.And ATDC is approaching its task in

a clinical manner. “What we need todo, in effect, is not only to train peopleto use technology, but to also use tech-nology to train people — because thenumbers required are so large,” saysDr. Darlie O. Koshy, Director-Generaland Chief Executive Officer of ATDCand the Institute of Apparel Manage-ment (IAM).At ATDC, the process of training peo-

ple to handle new machines is alreadyunderway. Some 6,000 of the most mod-ern machines have been added at thetraining centres and students are beingexposed to the latest techniques in areasas diverse as sewing operations, cutting,ironing, spotting, stain-removal, finish-ing, thread-cutting and trimming.“Candidates are being trained in so-

phisticated technology which is drivingthe business of the garment industry.Our next step is to set up several prod-uct-specific ‘speciality training centres’

— for knits, lingerie, shirt and trouser-making, structured garments, activesports wear, wearable technology gar-ments, etc.,” says Dr. Koshy. Adds Mr. Hari Kapoor, Vice Chair-

man, ATDC: “The SMART programmeunder the Integrated Skill DevelopmentScheme (ISDS) is taking into accountadvanced technologies. A special pro-gramme has been planned to showcasethe latest time and money savingsewing technologies for the apparel in-dustry. The use of IT in apparel industryfor production planning, cutting, devel-opment of patterns, etc., will be demon-strated.”“As an institution, either you drive

the industry, or be driven by it. Till now,ATDC was being driven by the industry.Now we also feel the need to drive theindustry. Earlier, we were merely re-sponding to the industry’s needs. Now,when the time has come to broadbasethe use of technology, we believe wemust also set the agenda to some ex-tent,” Mr. Kapoor adds.And there is reason to drive industry,

as the technology lag is still evident inthe sector. “We believe in many areas of

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Digital LearningAiming to standardise the delivery of

courses at its training centres across thecountry, ATDC has launched the first moduleof its blended learning ‘Digital Contents’ forthe ‘SMART Sewing Machine Operator’course. On July 16, Shri Anand Sharma,Union Minister for Commerce, Industry andTextiles, launched the module at the AEPC-ATDC stall at ‘Tex Trends India 2012’ — afair organised by the Ministry of Textiles atPragati Maidan in New Delhi.Present at the event were Smt. Kiran

Dhingra, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, ShriV. Srinivas, JS (Exports), Ministry of Textiles,and Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman, AEPC, ATDC &IAM. Besides standardisation of training de-livery, Digital Contents will help trainees assimilate information more effectively,said Dr. Darlie O. Koshy, Director-General &CEO, ATDC & IAM, at the launch.Repetitive course modules, he said, will

ensure there is consistency ’ in trainingacross the country, and also help candidatesunderstand the finer points better.

In apparel industry too we have challenges aswell as solutions. This is the time to go full steam.The industry is under immense pressure due tothe open-costing era and it is time to bringgreater efficiency in value creation.Avinash Misar, Director & CEO, Texport Syndicate

Trainees can reviewDigital Contents andthe vernacular voiceover will help themabsorb the contentsmore effectively.

— Dr. Darlie O. Koshy,DG & CEO, ATDC & IAM

Computerised embroidery machines at J.S. DesignPvt. Ltd., Noida.

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apparel industry in India, implementa-tion of technology is still wide open. Ap-parel manufacturers have tore-engineer their management systemsto improve productivity and efficiencyby upgrading technologies and goingtowards automated machines,” saysVishal Sher, Managing Director of Stu-dio Next Technology, a leading providerof Computer-aided Design (CAD) andmanufacturing solutions for the gar-ment industry.

“Looking at the economic challengesindustry is facing today, it is all the moreimportant to identify the right technol-ogy at the right price. ATDC has alreadytaken the initiative to provide trainingon new technology and prepare qualityresources that will help in making tech-nology-upgradation successful.”

Technology for TrainingATDC is also focusing on using technol-ogy to impart training and to train train-ers — the key to skilling the hugenumber of people that the apparel in-dustry will need as it rapidly modernises.The use of technology tools plays an

important role in imparting skillstraining. Use of digital content andlearning technologies increases the ef-

In the West, there is a high level of technol-ogy penetration. The technology marketthere is a replacement market. In India,since technology penetration levels are low,most users will be first-time users.Shyam Raj, Director, Reach Sewn Technologies

Digital Design

Gleaming, state of the art computers,flickering wide-screen monitors, and the

quiet hum of efficiency. A software firm? A BPO? No. Welcome to the Institute of Apparel Management’s (IAM) Fashion Innovation Lab (FIL) — the country’s firstdigital lab for fashion design professionals.With the Fashion Innovation Lab, IAM has

given life to the idea of “Concept to Con-sumer”. The lab covers everything from digi-tal design to digital products — and all thesteps in between: ideation, story-boarding,pattern-engineering, marker-making andvirtual proto-typing.“It’s amazing. Gone are the days of

cutting and drawing on paper. Now every-thing is done on CAD-CAM,” says Garima Vasisht, who has recently completed a Digital Pattern Making Course at IAM. “It gives us a complete edge when we

A cloth testingmachine at J.S.Design Pvt. Ltd.in Noida.

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fectiveness of the courses and providesrepetitive and standardised training. Blended-learning technologies sig-

nificantly enhance quality of skilledtrainees and help meet the increasingneed for effectively trained workforcefor the indigenous and export sectors(See box: Digital Learning).According to Mukund Sathe, Vice

President-Technology for Core-Edu-Tech — a leading player in vocationaltraining — the cost of accessing a newtechnology has also come down.This is because of the shift from

standalone client services to web-basedcloud-computing solutions that enableanytime, anywhere access, movingaway from the capital-expenditure(Capex) model to operational-expendi-ture (Opex) model. “To skill the youth of India, it will be

imperative to provide quality training. Itis not just enough to certify learners. Itis important to train them well andequip them for a better tomorrow. Lackof good trainers can be very challengingwhen we need to train so many people,”adds Sachin Uttam, Head, Enabling Di-mensions, specialists in e-learningproducts with simulators and educa-tional games.

Cricketing legend KrishnamachariSrikkanth, who has founded CareerStrokes, an innovative e-learning plat-form, says it is equally important to im-part soft skills using digital technology foroverall personality development and tohelp, among other matters, in bettercommunications and realisation of goals.Digital technology brings the latest

content, better delivery methods andcomes with the right Instructional De-sign, and modules created by eminentpersonalities and professionals in thefield of education.Since the digital con-tents come with proper supportingvideos and animations, the fully devel-oped audio-video contents help the stu-dent in understanding and involving toa greater extent.

“For this, digital technology has be-come the new norm. Gone are the dayswhen students used to get trained withbooks. The use of digital technologyadds more value. It makes subjects in-teresting and easier to grasp,” saysSrikkanth.And ATDC knows all these issues

well. It is in the process of setting up anInnovation Centre at Gurgaon in collab-oration with Juki, the global leader in in-dustrial sewing machines. This centrewill not only feature the latest technol-ogy offerings in the industry, but alsohave the best of trainers from the Japan-ese giant and ATDC available for thegarment sector.A similar initiative has been the first

digital Fashion Innovation Lab set up re-

go out looking for jobs,” she adds. IAM was set up in Gurgaon in 2007 with the

backing of the AEPC to take in students and turn them into designers, design managers, merchandisers, quality professionals,Pattern & Fit Engineers, etc., who alsohave a broad-based knowledge of theapparel business.The Fashion Innovation Lab, set up in

December 2009, uses the latest CAD-CAM software systems that providedigital Pattern Making & Fit Engineer-ing solutions seamlessly through eachstage of the product developmentchain. “We work mostly on digital platform

in technical collaboration with TukatechInc., USA. They are most up-to-date, efficient and, most importantly, ex-tremely user-friendly,” says IAM faculty

member Ms. Manka Vasti, Coordinator FIL. At thelab, students work on systems such as TUKAcadfor digital pattern-making, grading and markermaking.

They are also exposed to 3D virtual drapingtechnology. In this, digital patterns are draped onanimated virtual 3D fit models to create virtualsamples, allowing instant corrections to patterns

and greatly reducing the number of it-erations in sample-making.“The idea is that when a student

walks out of IAM, he should be abreastwith the latest in technology... a highlyskilled design professional,” says Dr. Darlie O. Koshy, CEO of IAM as well asATDC. “We give students easy access tothe technology to complete their as-signments. With such wide use of ourtechnology, it helps students gain immediate employment upon graduation,” says Ram Sareen, CEO and founder of Tukatech, which has provided over 200 systems to ATDC centres as well.

Gone are the days when students used toget trained with books. The use of digitaltechnology adds more value. It makessubjects interesting and easier to grasp.K. Srikkanth, Founder, CareerStrokes

Fashion Innovation Lab at IAM has given life to the idea of ‘Concept to Consumer’.

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cently in collaboration with the U.S.-based Tukatech to offer “Concept toConsumer” training for ATDC’s apparel manufacturing/fashion de-sign technology programmes, usingsoftware and systems that are re-defining apparel production andmanagement. As many as 224 newTukatech 2D and 3D systems havebeen installed at 26 ATDC centresand at the Institute of Apparel Man-agement (See Box: Digital Design).Also launched is the ATDC-Pra-

gati enterprise resource planning(ERP) system, in collaboration withCore to link all its 125 SMART Cen-tres and Skill Camps and help real-time tracking and monitoring. Theaim is to standardise the delivery ofcontent.

The Way AheadAvinash Misar, Director and ChiefExecutive of Texport Syndicate, aleading Bangalore-based apparel

manufacturer, feels no challengehas been left unaddressed in anyindustry and that the only differ-ence is who picks up and joins inthe race faster.“In apparel industry too, we

have challenges as well as solu-tions. This is the time to go fullsteam. The industry is under im-mense pressure due to the open-costing era and it is about time tobring greater efficiency in valuecreation. This calls for higher levelsof automation, productivity andquality in manufacturing.He also feels this is imperative to

keep the shop floor ticking. “State-of-the-art machinery permits au-tomation and this is key to efficiency.Otherwise, attrition in the industrywill make it difficult to manage anddeploy the required skill-sets. Au-tomation de-skills work and makesoperations friendly even for a semi-skilled or unskilled operator.”

INTERVIEW: Ram Sareen, Founder, Tukatech

What is the future of pattern construction, digital pattern-making and e-fit technologies in the Indian market?Ask any women in India if she is happy with her tailor;is she happy with the way her sari blouse fits at thearmhole? It is important to know that a “pattern” is thefoundation of any apparel, the blueprint that definesthe product. And without a perfect pattern, we cannotmanufacture a perfect fitting garment.To fit a three-dimensional body using a 2D “flat pat-

tern” requires the understanding of three basic princi-ples of pattern-making: darts, pleats and fullness. Theexpertise to know where to make these darts, pleatsand fullness on each flat pattern piece, is the skill thatdifferentiates a good pattern-maker from a mediocreor a bad one. It is only after they understand the basicscan they graduate to being a pattern engineer – one

‘The days of manual pattern-making are over’

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INTERVIEW: Juki-Motamaru, Director, Juki India

How do you look at technology in the apparel sector worldwide? Where does the Indian market stand in this scenario?We believe the sector is moving toward greaterautomation worldwide. However, the shift to au-tomation is still slow in the Indian market. Thisleads to a disadvantage vis-à-vis other countries,especially in getting orders fromthe U.S. and EU markets. To con-tinue using basic machines withmore operators means that long-term production costs will behigh. To be able to compete withother countries and attract buyersto India, it is necessary that com-panies here innovate and bring inmore automated systems.

How is Juki’s close engagement with ATDCand IAM helping transform the technologyinfrastructure in the country?We have supplied the latest technology to ATDCfacilities all over India and are currently in theprocess of providing our latest models to its up-coming Innovation Centre in Gurgaon.

However, we need greater cooperation be-tween Juki and ATDC to develop the market andtrain operators as well as trainers. We can to-gether provide valuable technical support to cus-tomers to help them improve their productionlines. We assure quick delivery and services as wehave our own warehouses and branches all over

India. IAM and ATDC support In-dian garment manufacturers and,together with us, can ensure thesuccess and rapid growth of theIndian garment market.

What is the role that you seefor an institution like ATDC inupskilling the apparel sector,especially with the use ofmodern technology?

There are two kinds of customers. One, who isproducing high-value garments for export or thedomestic market. The other produces not-so-high-value garments for the domestic market.The first category needs skilled operators, ofwhom there is a shortage in India. The secondneeds to upgrade their machines. Both categories

need ATDC’s support for training operators andtechnicians. It can provide information for the lat-est technology to develop people and markets.

What are your future plans in India?The Indian apparel market has the potential togrow. To be able to grow and compete againstother countries, companies need more automa-tion, need to reduce production costs, and ensurequick delivery. Juki aims for customer satisfaction;this means supplying the best products and pro-viding the best service to help customers succeed.

How has the new technology helped improve the condition of Sewing MachineOperators in terms of efficiency and health?We follow international laws and regulationssuch as CE regulation (a declaration by the manu-facturer that his product meets the requirementsof the applicable European Directives), Interna-tional Organisation of Standards (ISO), and JukiEco-Products Authorisation System (Ecology). Weare constantly trying to improve our products andservices. Our products help improve productivityand quality, and are extremely operator-friendly.

‘ATDC, Juki can together help the garment sector grow rapidly’

who can create the blueprint of a garment.The human body poses many challenges for

flat pattern-makers. They must come up withcurves and shapes to fit the armhole, neck lines,rise, waist and other parts of body. It is impossi-ble to do this correctly the first time, and thenrepeat it every time if they are drafting each pat-tern piece manually. Digital pattern-making al-lows them to make templates for each shapeand, then, tested and proven blocks can be usedagain and again regardless of design lines andsilhouettes. For the domestic market or for ex-ports, the industry needs experts who under-stand the art and science of pattern-making.They need to understand the human body andshapes for each market.Digital pattern-making allows us to make 2D

slopers (a 2D pattern peeled off the slopes ofhuman body to extract the exact shape), testthem on virtual bodies on 3D systems and re-view the fit without having to make the entiregarment physically. Since these are virtual gar-ments, all mistakes can be corrected quickly andre-simulated to see the effects of the correc-tions. The process can be repeated rapidly to get

the perfectly fitting garment in digital formatbefore a product is cut and sewn. Once the de-velopment is approved, the same can be saved inan Asset Library to be used again and againwithout having to remake those complicatedshapes to fit the same fitmodel. The future thus doeslook very gloomy for manualpattern rooms in all countriesacross the world where gar-ments are manufactured.

How is Tukatech’s engagement with IAMand ATDC helping to transform the technology infrastructure in the country?Tukatech brought digital pat-tern-making to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh andmany developing countries. Our challenges werenumerous. We had tailors on almost every streetcorner in India who worked independently, mak-ing one garment at a time. As the industrymoved to readymade garments and developed

export markets, they hired these tailors as pat-tern-makers, calling them “masters”. Well, we allknow that most of these people were not reallyskilled and the fit of the garments producedusing their patterns were quite bad. With re-

peated alterations, they got italmost right. None of thesetailors attended any formalpattern-making school.By developing CAD sys-

tems which could be inte-grated backwards and whichcould be used easily by man-ual pattern-makers with lit-tle or no education, andwhich could forward inte-grate for the new generationgrowing up with Internet, e-mails and hand-held mobile

devices, we were able to help the industry. In-cluding training videos in native languages inthe software helped old timers, while instructorsand fashion training schools took full advantageof this feature in training newcomers. With thesetools they created many skilled pattern-makers.

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Role of technology in apparel qualityTechnology has revolutionised

every aspect of life. Today, it isdifficult to identify an area that

has been untouched or not influencedby technology. How can the quality ingeneral and in the apparel industryspecifically, be an exception? When we look at quality, it does not

have to be limited to the product qual-ity alone. The quality of total experi-ence is what differentiates successfulcompanies form others. In that sensethere is a tremendous contribution oftechnology in improving the overallquality in the apparel industry. One of the major contributions has

been in the area of customer experi-ence. Technology has made the conceptof online shopping at customer’s con-venience a common practice. Technolo-gies like 3D-pattern development, e-fitsimulation, virtual wardrobe and tech-nology interfaces for co-designing bythe end consumer on the websites oftheir favourite brands has providedtremendous power to consumers. Thesetechnologies have also improved thequality of fit and reduced the gap be-tween perceived quality and the actual

product delivery. They have also helpedin the development of new generationperformance wear likeswimsuits and clothing forathletes. Technological advance-

ment in the areas of com-puterised colour matchingand dye recipes has also sig-nificantly improved thequality of colour consis-tency. Digital printing hasbrought in tremendousflexibility in offering whatthe customer wants instan-taneously. It also has thepower to offer what onewants right first time. Re-cent demonstrations of cus-tom-fit digitally printed T-shirts fromconcept to consumer in four hours isan excellent example of what technol-ogy can do today. In the apparel manufacturing area,

technologies like optical scanner-basedfabric inspection and computerisedcutting have improved quality signifi-cantly; though fabric inspection stilltends to be a manual process. In sewing

room, specialised work stations andflexible automation continue to pro-

vide improved quality andconsistency. Though thereare no major breakthroughinnovations here, one of therecent developments iscross feed mechanism thatpromises much betterstitch quality. Efforts arebeing made to reduce theenvironmental impact ofthe textile apparel manu-facturing process. Greentechnologies would con-tinue to improve the qualityof products, overall experi-ence and the life of allstakeholders of the apparel

industry in the years to come. One must remember that apparel

manufacturing will continue to remaina labour intensive process and hence,though developments in technologywill help in quality improvement, therole of human efforts and systems willcontinue to play a significant part inimproving the quality of apparel thatwe shall wear in the years to come.

Knitting ‘Product Speciality’ ideas

Learning has no end. This was thepredominant thought that domi-nated the ATDC Gurgaon Training

of Trainers’ (TOT) Academy during thefirst ‘Product Speciality Training forKnitwear’, held from September 10-14. A total of 25 faculty members from

various ATDC-SMART centres attendedthe event aimed at not just enhancingtheir skill sets but also providing themindustry perspective and exposure.“It's amazing to realise that learning

has no end,” said Mr. Jawahar Nehru,Principal, ATDC Maddur, Karnataka. “I have more than 25 years of experi-

ence in teaching and producing gar-ments, but this training programme hastaught me many new things that I canpass on to my students,” he added.

The event helped the participantslearn emerging trends and technologiesespecially for the rapidly-growing knitssector by involving them in practicallyproducing the garments in an efficientway, Mr. Nehru said. Jitender Kaur, a participant from

ATDC-Ludhiana, said the practicalmethodology of garment technology andquality requirements of knits taught atthe programme were immensely benefi-cial. While conducting the training pro-gramme, Mr. Jacob Varghese, SeniorManager & Technical Coordinator, ATDCSMART TOT Academy, Thiruvanantha-puram, Kerala, shed light on all aspectsof knitwear production — from order en-quiry to order execution. Mr. S. Carthic,Director, Mehala Group, Tirupur, Tamil

Nadu, made a presentation on ‘Advance-ments in Production Technology forKnitwear’, whereas Mr. Manmath Panda,Quality Expert & Production Supervisor,SPL Industries, conducted a day-longtraining programme on ‘Industry expec-tations on Quality’ and provided practi-cal know-how to the participants.The participants were taken to Knit

Craft, Gurgaon, to make them better un-derstand the process flow in the industry.

Dr. Rajesh Bheda,Director and CEO,

Rajesh Bheda Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

News Flags

With an aim to underline the signif-icance of technology and skills in

the apparel and textiles sector, ATDC-Okhla organised a workshop on 'Tech-nology and Skill Gap Analysis inApparel Sector' recently.Nearly 25 exporter members from

Okhla cluster participated in the work-shop, attended by Chief Guest Mr.H.K.L. Magu, MD, M/s. Jyoti Apparels,and Vice Chairman, F&B (ATDC & IAM).“In terms of efficiency, the industry

needs skilled personnel who are at parwith workers in neighbouring countrieslike Bangladesh and Sri Lanka,”stressed Mr. Magu. Other dignitaries in-cluded Dr. R.P. Jamdagari, Director, theTechnological Institute of Textile & Sci-ences (TIT&S); Laxmi Das, Member,TIFAC; Mr. M.K. Mehra, OGTC; and Ms.Daljit Kaur, Principal, ATDC-Okhla.

Aimed at covering a gamut of issuesconcerning policy making in skillbuilding, the Rajiv Education and Em-ployment Mission in Andhra Pradesh(REEMAP), in collaboration with FICCIand INTEL, organised a national work-shop and roundtable at Jubliee Hall inHyderabad on August 2-3.State Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar

Reddy inaugurated the workshop, titled‘Skill Development: Opportunities &Challenges.’ while Mr. S. Ramadorai,Advisor to the Prime Minister of India inthe National Council on Skill Develop-ment, Government of India deliveredthe keynote address titled ‘NationalCouncil for Development of Skills’. The roundtable, tilted ‘Round Table

on Skill Building — Policy Issues’ co-chaired by Dr. Darlie O. Koshy, DirectorGeneral & CEO, ATDC & IAM, was alsoattended by Dr. J. Geetha Reddy, StateMinister for Heavy industries; Mr. M.Maheedhar Reddy, State Minister forMunicipal Administration and UrbanDevelopment; Mr. Pardha Saradhi,State Minister for Secondary Education

and Mr. Dilip Chenoy, Managing Direc-tor and CEO, NSDC, among others. In his address, Dr. Darlie Koshy

shared that ATDC-SMART courses areproviding students gainful employmentin the apparel and textiles sector, wherejob opportunities are innumerable.Under the pilot project sponsored by

REEMAP’s Rajeev Yuva Kiranalu (RYK)Scheme, ATDC has already commencedclasses for over 100 candidates from thisyear — in Garment Construction Tech-niques (GCT), Sewing Machine Opera-tor- Basic & Advanced and SurfaceOrnamentation Techniques courses — atATDC Hyderabad and Vizag Skill Camp.And with the visionary skill develop-

ment programme of Andhra Pradeshgovernment, ATDC is at the forefront inrealising this goal.

Upskilling Andhra Pradesh, ATDC wayTrainings/Seminars/Workshops

news flags 13

ATDC-Okhla ‘analyses’ skills gaps

ATDC-NHO and ATDC-SMART Santoshpur celebrated VishwakarmaPuja on September 17, as the God ofArts and Crafts was worshipped bystaff members as well as students.

Celebrations

ATDC’S ARTISTIC SKILLS WELCOME ‘ONAM’It was feasting time for students asATDC-Thiruvananthapuram Collegecelebrated Onam festival with tradi-tional fervour on August 28. The stu-dents created a beautiful Pookkalam(an intricately decorated flower mat)and organised fun games like Sun-darikku PottuThodal (puttingbindi on the fore-head of a girl’sportrait blind-folded) and mu-sical chairs, etc. The staff membersprepared and served a deliciousOnasadhya, a grand feast.

As India turned 66thon August 15 thisyear, a wave of free-dom and patriotismenveloped the ATDCColleges & Centresacross the countrywhich proudlyhoisted the Indian flag at theirpremises. ATDC-Hubli studentsstarted the Independence Day cele-brations by decorating their cam-pus. A similar celebration was heldat ATDC-Gadag and ATDC-Banga-lore, among other Centres, thus in-culcating a patriotic feel among thestudent fraternity.

l July — Kozhikode (Kerala), Hardoi (U.P.), Unnao (U.P.), Neva (Punjab), DungarChikhli (Gujarat), Bhatpore Village (Gujarat), Bhopal-Itwara Road (M.P.), Khagul(Bihar), Sivan (Bihar), Chhapra (Bihar), Hajipur (Bihar), Madhubani (Bihar),Motihari (Bihar)

l August — Pali (Rajasthan), Boltra (Rajasthan), Pushkar (Rajasthan)l September — Balaji Nagar(A.P.), Nagram (A.P.), Chakkarpur (U.P.), Amethi (U.P.),Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Nilambur (Kerala)

ATDC-SMART Skill Camps started between July-September 2012

Tricolours don ATDC Centres

MEET THE GOD OF ARTS AND CRAFTS

ATDC-Katol recently organised amehandi competition for students.Seen in the picture are participantsapplying Henna on their palms.

INTRICATE PATTERNS

flashlight14

After information technology —the second largest employment providerin the state — the apparel and textiles sec-tor in Karnataka is set for a sea change...

Suvarna Vasthra Neethi policy, ap-parel parks, cluster-based projects,ATDC-SMART Centres/Skill Camps, roadshows — the state has adopted a ‘holis-tic’ approach towards developing the in-dustry. With this comes the challenge —to train unskilled workforce and providebetter training to make the skilling moreglobally-competitive in an environmentwhere new technology is the buzzword.

“The current format of Skill Develop-ment and making skilled manpoweravailable to the apparel industry has beenquite successful in Karnataka. The con-tinuation of the current interventions willbe beneficial to the entire gamut of in-dustries, either domestic or overseas,”D.A. Venkatesh, Commissioner for Textile

Development and Director, Handlooms& Textiles, Government of Karnataka, tellsSMART NewZine.

The role of ATDC-SMART Centres/Skill Camps is key in achieving this goal,he adds. “The skill initiatives by theATDC-SMART Centres/Skill Campsacross the state are significantly con-tributing towards realising the goals ofNational Skills Mission (NSM).”

“It is the need of the hour to upgradeskills to international standards to meetindustry requirements and to have aframeworks for standards, curricula andquality assurance. It is expected forATDC to step up its participation byopening new Centres/Skill Camps,” theCommissioner envisages.

Echoes Mr. Rajendra J. Hinduja, for-mer Managing Director of Bangalore-based Gokaldas Exports Ltd.: “Theinitiative taken by the ATDC will facilitatethe apparel factories in Karnataka but thevolumes are far too low compared to therequirement. The higher courses offeredby ATDC are better and they are supply-ing factories with the supervisory-levelstaff. Many such ATDC-SMART Cen-tres/Skill Camps need to be opened inthe state to make a meaningful impact.”

Since the launch of the SuvarnaVasthra Neethi (SVN) in 2008, the stategovernment has seen investment worth

India’s ‘Silicon Valley’With Karnataka adopting a

‘holistic’ approach towards

developing the apparel and

textiles sector, ATDC/ATDC-

SMART Centres/Skill Camps

are poised to play a key role

in skilling the workforce

in the state

Emerging fibre-to-fashion value chain in...

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`2,700 crore in the apparel and textilessector. The Department of Handloomsand Textiles, Government of Karnataka,is also promoting apparel parks in Gul-barga, Dodballapur, Bijapur, Belgaum,Bellary and Shimoga districts.

Moreover, retailers like Walmart, JCPenny, Target, Tesco and H&M have been

scaling up direct sourcing operations inthe state, which becomes a critical factortowards ‘Concept to Consumer’ philoso-phy in the new and challenging scenario.

“More ATDC/SMART Centres/SkillCamps should be opened in the stateto facilitate Ready Made Garments In-dustries (RMGIs). The requirement ishuge in activities starting from cutting,stitching and assembling and finishing.The requirements is huge at manage-rial levels, such as Purchase Managers, Designers, Production Managers, LineSupervisors/Floor Supervisors andQuality Control Executives, etc.,” addsVijay Kumar Nirali, Project Director,Department of Handloom & Textiles,GoK.

The South Indian Mills Association

(SIMA) has come forward to set up a Tex-tile Processing Park on the lines of Tara-pur and Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu. Inaddition, spinning and weaving parksare being set up in Dharwad, Belgaum,Bijapur and Chitradurga districts.

All this would require a trainedworkforce and ATDC, powered by state-of-the-art machinery and highly-competitive training modules, is al-ready playing a crucial role in providingskilled workforce in the state. “A sewingmachine operator will always be theneed of the industry and ATDC-SMART’s efforts to create a strong baseof these skilled workers is outstanding,”Mr. Avinash Misar, Director & CEO ofBangalore-based Texport Syndicate Ltd.chips in.

“Bangalore was the second ATDC-SMART Centre in India. Since its incep-tion, the Centre has trained over 4,700candidates in various facets of apparelsector. The successful candidates havebeen placed in RMGIs located in Banga-lore and many of them are headingfloors,” informs R. Balaji, Director, ATDC-SMART Centre, Bangalore.

The future road-map (see box) is clear.ATDC-SMART Centres/Skill Camps, con-stantly tapping the potential hidden in thevibrant state apparel arena, will soonemerge as a leading force towards provid-ing skilled manpower to the state — thushelping shape another ‘Textile Valley’ onthe lines of Tamil Nadu.

The higher courses offered by ATDC are better and theyare supplying factories with the supervisory-level staff. — Mr. Rajendra J. Hinduja, former Managing Director of Bangalore-based Gokaldas Exports Ltd

ATDC Bangalore was the sec-ond centre in India established

in 1996. Since inception, the Cen-tre has trained around 4,700 candi-dates in various facets of GarmentManufacturing, including Diplomain AMT, PSQC, PCMC, FDT, CAD,APM, GCT and SMT courses. Thesuccessful candidates have beenprovided with placement assis-tance in the RMGIs located in Ban-galore in the supervisory andMiddle Management cadre. Manyof the prominent students areheading departments/factories.

During 2007, with the financial assistance from the Rural Development & Panchayati Raj De-partment (RDPR), GoK, ATDCswere established in various districts across the state, includingTumkur, Kolar, Chikkaballapur,Ramnagar and Hubli.

In 2008, ATDCs were set up atMaddur and Gadag. The sevenCentres have trained over 7,600candidates and have provided full placement assistance.

FUTURE ROAD MAP

ATDC proposes to set upATDC-SMART Centres/Skill

Camps at Gulbarga, Bidar, Bi-japur, Belgaum, Koppal, Bellary, Davengere, Chitradurga, Shimoga and Mangalore, Hassan and Mysore districts.

The District Industries Centre(DIC) has expressed its willingnessto provide their industrial sheds inall these places for setting upATDC-SMART Skill Camps. In ad-dition to this, following places havebeen identified for establishingATDC SMART Skill Camps:Chinthamani (Chikkaballapur dis-trict), (supported by City MunicipalCouncil); Nagamangala & Sriran-gapatna (Mandya district), (sup-ported by DIC); Kodichikkanahalli& Ibulur (Bangalore Urban District)(supported by BBMP); and Jigniand Anekal (Bangalore rural Dis-trict) (supported by CDPO, Women& Child Welfare Department).

ATDC’s advancingstrides in Karnataka

The ATDC skill initiatives across the state are significantly contributing towards realising thegoals of National Skills Mission— D.A. Venkatesh, Textile Commissioner, Handlooms & Textiles, GoK

More ATDC/ATDC-SMART Centres/Skill Camps should be opened in thestate to facilitate Ready Made Garments Industries (RMGIs)— Vijay Kumar Nirali, Project Director, Department of Handloom & Textiles, GoK

In its endeavour to enhance the em-ployability of unemployed and disad-vantaged youth and women in Uttar

Pradesh, ATDC Kanpur, in associationwith the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan(NYKS), has started ATDC-SMART SkillCamps in two districts — Barabanki andUnnao. To begin with, 270 youth, spon-sored by NYKS, are being trained at Bara-banki (180) and Unnao (90) in GarmentConstruction Technique (GCT) andSMART Sewing Operator (Basic & Ad-vance) courses.

AT BARABANKIShri P.L. Puniya, Chairman, NationalCommission for Scheduled Castes &Tribes (NCSCT) and Member of Parlia-ment (MP), Barabanki constituency, in-augurated the Skill Camp on July 28 inpresence of Shri A.A. Naqvi, Managing Di-

rector, NBCFDC; Shri Rishipal Singh,Zonal Director, NYKS, Lucknow; and Dr.A.A. Farooqui, Deputy Youth Coordinator,NYKS, Barabanki. Shri Puniya lauded thelatest machinery at the Skill Camp.

AT UNNAONext on the anvil was Unnao Skill Camp.Shri Puniya inaugurated the Camp in

presence of chief guest Dr. Chan-drashekhar Pran, NYKS Programme Di-rector, Dr. Aradhana Raj, NYKS districtcoordinator and senior ATDC officials.

AT AMETHI

Another ATDC-SMART Skill Camp was in-augurated at Inhauna, Amethi con-stituency, on September 14 with supportfrom NYKS and ATDC-Kanpur. The SkillCamp was inaugurated by Shri SaleemAhmed, Director General, NYKS in pres-ence of Shri Gopal Bhasin, General Man-ager (SMART Project), NYKS officials localcommunity and selected trainees.NYKS has sanctioned additional 540

trainees for training at districts like Ame-thi, Allahabad, Sultanpur, Pratapgarh, RaeBareli, Pandrauna, Lakhimpur, Sitapurand Shahjahanpur. With such moves, ATDC has begun to

reach the mofussils and hinterlands of thelargest Indian state.

The ATDC-Naihati Skill Camp was re-cently inaugurated by Naihati MLA

Shri Tamal Bhowmik in presence ofChairman of Naihati Municipality ShriRamesh Halder, councillors and townproject officers of Naihati Municipality inNorth 24 Parganas district, West Bengal.Mr. Bhowmik stressed on the need

for job-oriented training programmes

being provided by ATDC and asked thestudents to make most of the opportu-nities. Shri Ramesh Halder praised the infrastructure at the ATDC SMARTCentre and hailed the course curricula.Nearly 120 candidates, majority of themwomen, are already being trained inSewing Operator (Basic & Advanced)courses.

Inaugurations

ATDC OPENS NAIHATI SKILL CAMP

Expanding horizons in Uttar Pradesh

TWO NEW SKILL CAMPS AT ATDC-SURATATDC Surat has launched two new SkillCamps in Gujarat — Singhanpur (Surat) andGodhra. The Singhanpur Skill Camp was inaugurated on the occasion of Dr. BhimraoAmbedkar’s birth anniversary this year.Thirty-six students have already beentrained at the Skill Camp. The ATDC-SMARTGodhra Skill Camp commenced recently.

news flags16

Fostering India-Mauritius apparel bond ATDC, A ROLE MODEL ONBIHAR’S SKILL MAP

In last few years, ATDC-SMARTCentres/Skill Camps in Bihar haveelevated their role in skilling work-force for the apparel and textilessector to such a level that now, thebuzz has reached foreign shores.The idea was to showcase skill ini-

tiatives in Bihar, and the destinationwas pre-destined — the recently op-erationalised ATDC-SMART Mad-hubani Skill Camp.On August 30, it was a Pagg-Du-

patta (traditional headwear andscarf) welcome for Ms. Claire TynteyErwin, First Secretary, EconomicTrade, British High Commission, atthe Skill Camp. Accompanied bystate Rural Development MinisterShri Nitish Mishra, Ms. Erwin was infor a surprise when she met 60 can-didates undergoing training in theSMART Sewing Operator course.

She not only interacted and mo-tivated ATDC-SMART students tohone their skills but also praised thestitch work done by them and dis-tributed SMART tool-kit to them. Shri Mishra, accompanied by a

team of district administrators, dis-tributed participation certificates tostudents and assured necessarysupport from the government. Earlier, a welcome speech by An-

jani Kr. Mishra, Principal, ATDC-Patna, focused on how the ATDCSMART courses are helping in-crease quality, productivity and efficiency of the SMART traineesand the road-map ahead. He added that the ATDC Mad-

hubani Centre was ready to supportthe disadvantaged sections of thesociety by expanding its base.

In a significant move to strengthencollaborations between India andMauritius in the apparel and textiles

sector, a high-level Mauritian delega-tion visited ATDC’s national head-officesituated at Paridhan Vikas Bhawan inGurgaon on July 25. The delegation was led by Ms. Asha

Burrenchobay, Permanent Secretary,Ministry of Industry, Commerce andConsumer Protection (MoICCP), andMr. Ramjit Imrit, Director of Industry,MoICCP, Government of Mauritius.Mr. Robindro Ghose, Principal Indus-

trial Analyst, MoICCP, and Ms. NiveditaBauhadoor-Pillay Ponisamy, SecondSecretary, Mauritius High Commissionin New Delhi, were the other two mem-bers of the delegation. Vijay Jindal,ATDC-LMC member Faridabad and SPLIndustries’ owner, was also present.

The delegation was unanimous onone thought: availability of world-classinfrastructure at ATDC & ATDC-SMARTCentre & Skill Camps to boost efficiencyand productivity, thus providing an in-dustry-ready workforce.Mr. Ghose, throwing light on the

Mauritian apparel sector, said special at-tention needs to be given to technologi-cal development and productivity sothat we can have a strong presence inthe global apparel scene. Emphasisingon Mauritius being an attractive desti-nation for the sector, Mr. Ghose said po-litical stability and safe environmentmakes the ocean country a viable optionfor industry.The visit was organised on the side-

lines of the event, titled ‘Joint Commit-tee on Cooperation about the Textileand Clothing Industry’.

news flags 17

Visits

TN Textiles Secretary at ATDC-SMART Egmore Centre

In order to take stock of the qualityof training being provided to ATDCstudents, Tamil Nadu Handloom

and Textiles Secretary Mr. G. San-thanam visited the ATDC-SMARTEgmore Centre on August 12.

He interacted with ATDC students,sponsored by the Tamil Nadu Corpo-ration for Development of Women,and inquired about the programmes.

Mr. Santhanam said ATDC underthe aegis of AEPC and the Tamil Nadugovernment are working in tandem toprovide job-oriented skills training to

deal with unemployment of youth inthe state. He also mentioned that ef-forts were being made to evolve a newstrategy to open more ATDC-SMARTCentres in Tamil Nadu in the future.

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In order to provide betterfacilities to students,ATDC-SMART Centre, Ban-galore, has signed a Memo-randum of Understanding(MoU) with select leadingapparel export units likeM/S L.T. Karle & Raymonds,etc. They would provide freehostel facilities to candi-

dates seeking training underthe ATDC-SMART trainingprogramme. ATDC Banga-lore has trained over 200 students from rural hinter-lands since July 2011.

Awareness Programmes

SMART Innovations

‘Smart’ MoU in Bangalore

In order to rehabilitate theunemployed youth in theNorth-Eastern region,ATDC, in collaboration withBangalore-based TexportSyndicate Ltd., is offeringone-year Apparel Manufac-turing Technology (AMT)course. A batch of 30 stu-dents from North-East is al-

ready undergoing trainingin ATDC-SMART SewingOperator Course at L.T.Karle & Raymonds com-pany in Bangalore. TheMinistry of Development ofNorth-Eastern Region(DONER) is taking care ofcourse fee, boarding andlodging.

Connecting North-East with mainstream

In a move to em-power the disad-vantaged sections

in Rajasthan villages,ATDC-SMART JaipurCentre recently con-ducted two awarenesscamps — one at Geej-garh and another atvillages surroundingthe holy town of Pushkar.At Geejgarh, SMART trainers Mr. Hemendra Haldia and Ms.

Shabana Khan explained the benefits of the fast-track SMARTtraining programmes for various industry trades like sewing op-erator, Quality Checker and Machine Mechanic, etc. to nearly50 participants. Later, they selected 32 students for the firstbatch. In the future, ATDC-SMART Jaipur Centre is planningto conduct a 45-day training for SMART Operator (Basic)course at Geejgarh, with contribution from M/s. Read Indiatowards course fee and help in placements.At holy town of Pushkar, ATDC-SMART Jaipur team inter-

acted with villagers and informed them about the Fast-TrackSMART training methodology, job opportunities in the ap-parel sector and how to form Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for selfemployment so that they can uplift their living status.

Rajasthan villages on ATDC radarPlacements

Jobs galore for ATDC students

Atotal of 21 candidates were successfully placedthrough three separate campus placement inter-

views held at the ATDC National Head Office (NHO) atParidhan Vikas Bhawan, Gurgaon, on August 8, 9 and 27.Luna Exports Pvt. Ltd., an apparel exports/imports

company, visited the campus placement session on Au-gust 8. Out of the 85 candidates who appeared for the in-terview, Luna Exports recruited 11 candidates forpositions like Quality Analyst/Quality Controller, Sam-pling Coordinator and Production Supervisor, amongothers. The selected candidates have been offered`8,000-`15,000 salary per month.

“I ampleased tofind that theATDC stu-dents havesound theo-retical andt e c h n i c a lknowledge.They are im-

mensely talented. I am confident that they would be ableto make a difference once they get more practical expe-rience, said Ms. Ronie Khanna, CEO, Luna Exports.M/s House of Pearl participated in the campus place-

ment session on August 9 and selected five candidatesfor its Industrial Engineering (IE) Department. Mr. Sid-dharth, IE Head and Mr. Aanis Anwar, Deputy GeneralManager, M/S House of Pearl, visited the ATDC NationalHead Office. The selected candidates were scheduled tojoined the company at a salary of ̀ 7,500 per month each.M/S Chelsea Mills visited ATDC on August 27. Mr.

Anuj Bhatia, Factory Head, Chelsea Mills, conducted theinterview sessions for recruiting candidates for the posi-tions of Quality Analyst/Quality Controller, Sampling Co-ordinator and Production Supervisor. The five selectedcandidates were hired on `8,000-`8,500 a month.

ATDC-SMART Centre,Dindori, Madhya

Pradesh, has joined handswith the Dindori DistrictCollectorate for the uplift-ment of the Bega tribe (BegaJanjati). The Bega Janjati hasbeen given the status of

Super Special ScheduledTribe in Madhya Pradesh.ATDC-SMART Skill Camp isskilling the tribal students tohelp them earn livelihood.At present, 25 female stu-dents in age 18-35 are un-dergoing training.

Empowering ‘Bega’ tribe

ATDC Bhilwara ATDC Kolkata

TThe sudden death of her father last year was the turn-ing point in young Kayanat Parveen’s life. Being theeldest daughter of the house, one thought was haunt-

ing her. Would she be able to become the breadwinner forher family, living in Shahpura village in Bhilwara, Rajasthan?Just when Kayanat was thinking about her family’s future,

destiny smiled at her when a neighbour informed her aboutthe launch of the ATDC-SMART Skill Camp in Shahpura thatwould train the youth in sewing and embroidery.Kayanat wasted no time, got herself enrolled and success-

fully completed the one-month Fast-Track ATDC-SMARTcourse in June last year. She has never looked back since then.She started with taking tailoring orders and within a year,

saved enough money to open her own cloth shop, ‘RoshniMatching Centre’, that sells both stitched clothes and dressmaterial. Both Kayanat and her sisters have resumed theirstudies. “I owe it to ATDC. Today, I am self-employed andtake care of my family. I have learnt how to manage work andstudy together. ATDC has given me a new identity. Thank youATDC-SMART for guiding me,” says a beaming Kayanat.

‘A new identity’

Stories to tell 19

Afew skills in garment technologycan make a huge difference in the

employment scenario of a village. Thisis hardly a secret.

The story of a batch of 25 unem-ployed women of Kasargod district inKerala, who received off-campus train-ing for 45 days from ATDC-SMARTCentre, Kannur, is no different.

Soon after completing the training,these women of extraordinary courageand determination, with the help of Kudumbasree Apparel Park, a Women Self-Help Group’s apparelpark in Kerala, set up their own production unit.

Started with a capital of `3,00,000 as bank loan and a contribution of`3,000 per person, this small enterpriseis expanding.

With help of 25 latest SNLS ma-

chines and four interlock machines,these women are producing 530 piecesof ladies undergarments daily.

At the initial stage, their productswere being sold through KudumbasreeHome Shops. Mr. K. Kunhiraman, MLA from Uduma constituency,launched their products for the marketat a recently-held function.

This unique enterprise is planningto provide employment to 1,000 unemployed women in the future.

Stitching an enterpriseATDC Kannur

Break the boundariesBreaking away from his family’s traditional fast food business, SubhankarDas joined the two-year Advance Fashion Design Technology (AFDT) Programme at ATDC-Kolkata in 2009. Even before the completion of hiscourse, Subhankar, along with Prodip Polley, an ATDC alumnus, applied forthe ‘Blender’s Pride Bangalore Fashion Week’ in 2011, and got through thepreliminary selection rounds. Shubhankar and Prodip showcased their col-lection titled ‘Break the Boundaries’ under the GenNext category. With 16outfits on offer, their collection highlighted natural fabrics like cotton andlinen for new-age Indian. The success story continues...

Smooth transitionLife was a jigsaw puzzle for Priya Shaw. After completing her graduation, Priya wanted to pursue a professional course that could easily landher a job. That's when an ATDC advertisementcaught her eye. Priya soon decided to pursue aone-year Diploma in Apparel Manufacturing Technology from ATDC-Kolkata. To her satisfaction,getting a job after completing the diploma in January 2010 wasn’t difficult at all. She got placed

as a merchandiser in Swift Project Pvt. Ltd. in Kolkata, with an initial salary of`10,000 per month.

Quality mattersHailing from the remote village of Kadambera inBankura District of West Bengal, Kalidas Tudu, whobelongs to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community, hadall the abilities and aspirations to succeed in life. Allhe needed was a right opportunity. After complet-ing secondary education, Kalidas availed of thesponsorship of Backward Class Welfare Department,Government of West Bengal, for pursuing a one-year Diploma in Apparel Manufacturing Technology (AMT) from ATDC-Kolkata. Soon after, Kalidas joined P.S. Apparel, a Chennai-based export company, as a Quality Controller. He is now working as Quality Controller at JPM Exports, Kolkata.

HARISH GUPTACEO, FashionLearning Resources, Gurgaon, India

PROF. (DR.) PRABIR JANAHead (InformationTechnology)National Institute of Fash-ion Technology(NIFT), Ministry of Textiles, GoI

New directions in garment technology

Digitisation is here to stay

IN SUMMARY

Contact:Apparel Training & DesignCentre, National Head OfficeParidhan Vikas Bhawan, Plot-No. 50, InstitutionalArea, Sector-44, Gurgaon-122003Phone: 0124-4659500/01 Website: www.atdcindia.co.in

31 x

After almost two decades of practicing appareltrade, when we started working on the concept ofDigital learning for entry level skill training in thistrade, it involved lot of learning and relearning. Thiswas based on feedback received from students, fieldtrainers and management while testing pilot at various ATDC training centres. It made us realisethat entry-level skill training is a different challengeand made us completely overhaul our methodology,pedagogy and content.

Development LearningsThe key learning’s for digital education relevant are:l Digitisation objective should be standardisation ofcontent & quality delivery across the geographies.

l The trainers or the facilitators are the key pivot(and not the digital contents) as they are still considered as ‘guru’ by the learners. These train-ers exercise maximum influence at this level oflearners. It is important to involve them at all levels and motivate them to facilitate training delivery — using the digital contents.

l Digitisation advantage in making the content andcourse interesting, relevant, engaging and a bitentertaining (keeping in mind the profile of learn-ers), should be rightly exploited. This will lead tobetter skill transfer for learners.

Myth of High TechnologyIt is a great myth that only higher the technology,better the results in training products. One of thebest examples in digital space which I often give isof a Hindi movie Sholay (1975). I saw it in 1980 andstill remember almost every sequence and dialogueeven now. Later, I have seen numerous movies in-volving the best of the technologies including 3Dbut do not have any such vivid digital memories. Sowith optimum technology, relevant and engagingcontent, delivered with the help of motivated‘gurus,’ we could do wonders.

FutureGoing forward with high mobile and Internet pene-tration, digital content has come to stay. Faster rollout in local languages will only accelerate theprocess. Small snippets of practice videos with lim-ited number of views could be allowed to be down-loaded on learners’ mobiles (or AKASH tablets) whichthey could use to practice. Also In apparel trade, themachine technology is not changing as rapidly, soright course design and content will stay relevant forlonger period. Digital learning would move awayfrom the novelty feature to being integrated as thebasic requirement of skill training courses, as beingdone at various ATDC centres. Thus helping thelearners skill themselves better, lead better careerand fulfilling life.

Although last three decades produced only incrementaldevelopments in sewn product technology, it can bepredicted that coming decade will see some interestingdevelopments. In pre-sewing category materialinspection, preparation and cutting operations hasalready reached a highest level of automation.

But fabric joining operation (sewing) and everincreasing type of surface embellishment still usesfairly good amount of human intervention. Use ofthread and needle for fabric joining will face seriouscompetition from welding/bonding technology.

Current constraint of mandatory thermoplastic fibrecontent and high cost will come down with years.The future of wet processing of textiles i.e.dyeing/printing, will be completely water-free,follow digital route and value-added finish on jeans,and casual wear will follow laser/ozone and otherdry-finishing technique.

Real-time data collection from labour-oriented

sewing floor was every manager’s challenge andfancy, which currently uses barcode or RFID-basedtechnology. A factory in remote South Asia or Africawill not only be monitored through IP-based CCTV,but through sewing machine motor also. A new real-time shopfloor data collection technology will collectreal-time data directly from sewing machine motorabout machine uptime, cause of machine downtime,operator off-standard time and will be able to controlSPI of all machines remotely through Internet!

The time-wasting aspect of globalised garmentproduction is sampling and approval process. Futureapplication of telepresence technology, 3D scanning ofhuman body and cloning in virtual form, virtualsimulation of fabric behaviour in static and dynamicstate and digital colour management solution will makegarment prototyping faster and right first time. Theenvironment concern and sustainability will drivetechnological developments to a different direction.Use of recyclable material and renewable energywill be theme of development.